“She has, but she wears the pain of her loss on her body.She needs it to be seen.The silver marks are what she needs to see.”
Baket covered his eyes.“Her lost child.”
Chloe nodded.“It is common among my people—well, it was—to mark their skin with permanent pigments to remember those lost and to hope for the future.Or to just remember a drunk night out, but it was important.You wear battles on your skin; we wear our lives.”She grinned.“Well, now that I have spanked your supreme leader, I am going to sleep the sleep of the just.Night, fellas!”
She waved and headed for her green and growing quarters.There was a gorgeous bed of clover that was calling her name.
The Zowoth were talking rapidly as she left.Good.While other species didn’t share human mores, they were shared by humans and needed to be taken into account.
Chapter Six
Margo was back in thepilot’s chair after breakfast, and Gertrude dropped the block on the coms.“Array, this is the vessel containing your sister, and we are ready to transport you to Sanctuary Base, where your other sister and her Hmrain await.”
“Wow.That’s cool.Who are you?” The voice was cheerful.
“Margo.Zowoth warrior grade three with pilot training.”
The woman at the array said, “Where did you go after the station?”
“I was stolen and dumped in a fighting station.They wanted to know what it took to kill humans.Some died fast, some slow, and some disappeared.There were three humans who made it to the highest ranking, but the female disappeared after a fight with a giant something-or-other.Too bad.She was a lot of fun.”
“That’s what I heard.Are you coming in now?”
“Yup.We are going to be there in a few minutes.Are you ready to travel?”
“Oh, yeah.I have some luggage that I need a hand with.Can your crew help with that?”
“Definitely.”
“Excellent.I am not supposed to move stuff right now.”
“Are you ill?”
“Nothing that won’t be sorted in a few months.Slow recovery.” The woman’s voice chortled.“See you in a few.”
Gertrude said, “I am having trouble getting through the signals the array is putting out.”
